In a recent announcement, the Canadian government decided to double the proof of funds required for international students, including Nigerians, from ₦8,025,000.00 ($10,000) to ₦16,050,000.00 ($20,000).
The proof of funds requirement, announced by Marc Miller, the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, will come into effect on January 1, 2024.
Miller stated that the increase in the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants is aimed at ensuring that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada. From 2024, a single applicant will need to demonstrate that they have $20,635, equivalent to 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs.
This change, which marks the first review of the study permit applicants’ financial requirements in nearly two decades, is intended to prevent student vulnerability and exploitation.
In related news, the United Kingdom has recently introduced a new set of immigration rules that could make it more difficult for Nigerians and others to obtain a visa. Home Secretary James Cleverly announced the changes, which include an increase in the minimum annual salary for foreign workers eligible for a skilled worker visa from £26,200 to £38,700, a figure higher than the existing median average salary of a full-time worker in Britain.
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Cleverly also announced that health and social care workers would be exempted from these changes, but they would be prevented from bringing family dependents. Furthermore, the surcharge that migrants pay to access the NHS will be increased by 66 percent, to £1,035. Critics argue that this effectively imposes a double charge on migrant workers, who also pay National Insurance charges towards healthcare. #Funds